1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to integrated circuits and more particularly to electrical/mechanical contacts for integrated circuits.
2. Description of the Related Art
The cost of integrated circuits is closely related to the number of process steps that are required in their fabrication and assembly. Because process steps performed on a semiconductor wafer are simultaneously completed on a large number of semiconductor dice, integrated circuit cost advantages are realized whenever a process step is transferred to the wafer level. Integrated-circuit chips are typically mounted to substrates with interconnects, e.g., wire bonds, which are not amenable to wafer level processing or with interconnects, e.g., solder bumps, whose rigidity prevents the relief of integrated circuit stresses caused by temperature expansion and contraction. Accordingly, separate interconnect process steps are required on each chip, which generally increase the integrated circuit cost.